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The best Final Fantasy games on PCRanked in the correct order, finally
Ranked in the correct order, finally
We’re still waiting for the PC release ofFinal Fantasy 16andFinal Fantasy VII Rebirthwhile jealously looking over the shoulders of our PS5 brethren. But that doesn’t mean we can’t ride some other chocobo, so to speak. There are tons of other greatFinal Fantasygames you can play on PC right now. Below, we’ve ranked the 10 best Final Fantasy games you can currently play on Steam, putting an end to the debate over which Roman numeral is objectively best.
Where should you start with Final Fantasy 7?Watch on YouTube
Where should you start with Final Fantasy 7?
Best Final Fantasy games on PC
This enormous JRPG series has changed a lot over the years, and its history on PC has been patchy to say the least. But today we basically have the complete set of Final Fantasy games on PC (with the exception of those newest ones, of course). The list hasn’t changed much since our last re-ranking in summer of 2023 but we fancied a reshuffle anyway. It helps to keep Final Fantasy fans on their toes.
10. Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIIIis often decried as the ‘corridor game that only gets good after 30 hours’. But that’s reductive. Final Fantasy XIII is an absolute stunner on PC, impressing from the off with lush visuals, a gorgeous soundtrack, and its constant, dogged dedication to keeping players on the tips of their toes. It throws together different characters in unlikely pairs and combines new battle techniques every couple of hours, so that no two sections ever feel the same. And besides, it’s no more of an endless corridor than Final Fantasy X was several years earlier, so why all the hubbub? It deserves better, is what we’re saying, and is absolutely worth revisiting.
Sure, its cast of characters is a somewhat mixed bag. Stoic badass Fang and tired chocobo dad Sazh sit at the top of pile, whileperpetual wet blanket Hopecan rot in an interminable Coccoon for all we care. But its greatest triumph is the active time battle system. Not only did it ditch dedicated character classes for a more malleable set of roles known as ‘paradigms’, but it also introduced the concept of staggering enemies before really laying into them. A feature that is still cropping up today in JRPGs. I can’t tell you what the plot is about (crystals?) but, as we’ll discover,mostFinal Fantasy plots are bobbins when you really sit down and think about them.
9. Final Fantasy V (Pixel Remaster)
Image credit:Square Enix
Final Fantasy Vmixes its mythology in the loony manner that would become de rigueur for future Final Fantasies. A dude called Gilgamesh is trying to find the sword Excalibur (what?). It features an antagonist called “Exdeath” (huh!?). The story is a mish-mash of recognisable tropes, yes, but it all stands in service of something greater. Doing your Job!
The “Job” system introduced fresh roles to the turn-based battles, see. The Beast Master, Samurai, Blue Mage, Berserker, and loads more. It let you mix abilities from one job into another to create scrappy little weirdoes that felt like your own. You could even see which character’s turn would come next! Don’t scoff, it was cool. The battle system of this game was so deeply sound, so well-regarded, that it got the designer responsible, Hiroyuki Ito, promoted to the position of Director for Square’s next game. And you can be glad it did.
Final Fantasy V was an underappreciated turning point for the series. In the same way that everyone remembers the exciting Tudor monarchs who chopped heads but never their penny-pinching founder Henry VII, people tend to forget everything before Final Fantasy VI. The perceived wisdom being that the sixth instalment was the moment the series truly blossomed. But Final Fantasy V’s influence is unequivocally pivotal. One for the FF historians.
8. Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy XIVis anexceptional comeback storyin the video games industry. After a disastrous initial launch in 2010, its reincarnation as “A Realm Reborn” has since risen to become one of thebest MMORPGsin recent memory. Its medieval stylings can be felt leaking intoFinal Fantasy XVItoo, as oft-lauded Square Enix executive Naoki Yoshida was plucked from his role as director of the MMO to become producer of the latest in the mainline series.
Starting out in Final Fantasy XIV today is, admittedly, a bit of an undertaking - with what four major expansions offering hundreds of hours. But if you play Final Fantasy for the depth and scope of its stories, this online behemoth should not be missed. Indeed, we called it “one of the greatest FF tales of all time” in ourEndwalker review.
7. Final Fantasy XV
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Square Enix
Final Fantasy XVis an absolute mess of a game that has no right to be as good, polished or atmospheric as it is. After a decade of development, its flaws are too many to count, especially when it comes to its disjointed story (countless important moments were outsourced to DLC, films and an anime TV series - god knows why). Despite this, it’s still one of our favourite games in the series. A large part of that is down to the four roadtripping boys you accompany: sullen prince Noctis, beefcake muscle-man Gladio, squad chef Ignis, and dearest boy band photographer Prompto.
When you get down to it, there is no greater depiction of laddish companionship in the series. This feeling of camaraderie is constantly being reinforced throughout the game, whether that’s Ignis' campfire cooking or Prompto’s end of day photography cataloguing your progress. They riff off each other’s attacks in battle, and chat incidentally as they amble through the countryside. Forget about getting married (Noctis is basically on his stag do) and never mind saving the world (there’s that to sort out too). FFXV makes you just want to hang out with your mates a bit longer and ogle at what’s cooking. Hot damn, that Fat Chocobo Triple Decker sandwich looks tasty.
6. Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
A long time ago, in a fantasy far, far away, a dusty street urchin teamed up with a roguish airship captain and his rabbit-eared first mate, to take a backseat in the story of a freedom fighter and a warrior princess. Twelve years later, they allarrived on PCand once again the forums were filled with the cries of: “Hang on, this is Star Wars!” and, “Actually, it’s not bad!”
Storywise,Final Fantasy XIItramps around in the middleground of the series. There’s a war, an empire and a princess. Crystals, knights and monsters. Perhaps the only distinct thing about this tale is that you aren’t playing as a very important person. Vaan and his pal Penelo are just two street kids who get swept up in a larger story. They only end up fighting big Judges in scary armour because the rest of the characters were doing it first.
It’s oddly refreshing, as is the fighting system. For the first time, Square threw away their standoffish system of menus and little white gloves. They filled the overworld with enemies to batter in real-time. They gave Vaan and his compatriots the Gambit system, which lets you program all your characters' moves in advance. Healers would heal, tanks would tank, rogues would stab, all according to the rules you created yourself. That Gambit system didn’t stick around in later games, but it marked a turning point for the series. Number 12 here ought to be appreciated for branching out and throwing off some stale Final Fantasy traditions.
5. Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster
Image credit:Square Enix
At long last, a version ofFinal Fantasy VIthat’s worth playing on PC. Yes, the Pixel Remaster fonts aren’t brilliant, but hey, this is a PC game. You think we can’trustle up a few mods to fix that? Please.
It remains one of few Final Fantasy games to really put its iconic summon monsters centre stage. They play an enormous role here (alongside your 14 playable party members) and you’ll need all the help you can get to take down the game’s terrifying, demented clown villain Kefka. Until recently, we would have warned you off playing this on PC, but thanks to the spit and polish of the new Pixel Remaster, you can finally truly enjoy this sensational swansong of the 16-bit era.
4. Final Fantasy IX
It’s easy to see why so many continue to rally behind this colourful, characterful tale of heisting actors and clown-faced queens. Gone are the frowning strongmen and hormonal teen mercenaries of the previous games, replaced with a jokey thief, a bumbling bodyguard, a terminally ill puppet, and a sad princess. Ah, Final Fantasy. From fairytales ye have arisen and to fairytale ye shall return.
3. Final Fantasy X / Final Fantasy X-2 HD Remaster
Image credit:Square Enix
To us, nothing has quite lived up to Final Fantasy X’s scale and ambition since, and the fact we now get its direct sequel (Final Fantasy X-2) bundled in with the HD Remaster feels like icing on the cake. Seeing the once-timid priestess Yuna swap her staff for a pair of guns and kick ass with a killer new haircut was exactly what 15-year-old Katharine wanted from games way back when, not to mention a light-hearted revisit to the realms of FFV’s job system dress-up. Also: you are a pop idol now. Just go with it. Power ballads and lost loves were just what the series needed after the heavy themes and heartbreak of its predecessor. The sequel finally gave Final Fantasy X the closure we desired, provided you whistled three times facing east in the netherrealm and clapped your hands twice while rubbing your tummy correctly… That’s how all good game endings work, right? RIGHT?
2. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
Final Fantasy VII Remakeonly tells part of the story of the much-loved 1997 original, but as an exercise in nostalgia (and the thwarting thereof), it is a wonderous thing. You start as a half-hearted eco-terrorist, fighting against a vile, planet-sapping corporation. Then you fight for revenge. Then you fight because there’s a bad man in a long cloak. Then some terrifying otherworldly force comes to… destroy the world? Oh god, it’s nonsense, isn’t it? It’s nonsense. But psst, here’s a secret. They’reallnonsense.
So let’s appreciate the atmosphere of VII, if not the daftness. Let’s remember wandering around the steamy, dirty, semi-robotic city of Midgar. Its factories and slums, its skyscrapers, tunnels and highways. This was a big city, now rendered even larger and more sumptuous than the one you’ve got lodged in your head. Here we’re suggesting the Intergrade edition, which makes the environments look even better, and includes an extra episode featuring materia-pinching side-hustler Yuffie. Final Fantasy VII Remake also has arguably the best modern battle system of the lot, combining the real-time slashy-slashes of Final Fantasy XV with the tactical pause of its own turn-based origins. It’s the kind of reimagining you wish Square Enix would give all the PS1-era Final Fantasies. Even if doing so wouldprobably take decades.
1. Final Fantasy VIII Remastered
Final Fantasy best-of lists tend to be decided on nostalgia and an outpouring of childlike love. We are not immune to those feelings. So let it be known:Final Fantasy VIIIis the best Final Fantasy game. We do not apologise. If you want to dispute our decision, grab your gunblade and we can settle this Squall and Seifer-style.
